It’s probably a bit too early to begin preparing for Christmas. But it’s not too early to begin preparing to prepare for Christmas. For example, if you want to use a guide or devotional in the lead-up to December 25, this is the time to start looking into your options and buying the one you deem suitable. To that end, I would like to offer a few suggestions, each of which is relatively new.
Recapturing the Glory of Christmas by Al Mohler. This book has only just been released and is a 25-day devotional that is meant to be read at a chapter per day beginning on December 1. Mohler offers theological reflections on Christmas that are designed to provoke awe and worship at the sheer wonder of God becoming man. (Amazon, Westminster Books)
Let Earth Receive Her King: Daily Readings for Advent by Alistair Begg. This volume is also brand new and offers a series of 24 readings that span the whole of Scripture to celebrate Christ’s advent and Christ’s return. Alongside each daily reading and devotional, Begg offers a question for reflection and an appropriate hymn or carol. (Amazon, Westminster Books)
The Advent of Glory: 24 Devotions for Christmas by R.C. Sproul was released last year and offers 24 daily readings drawn from the works of R.C. Sproul. These readings are meant to help restore the wonder of a holiday that we can easily begin to take for granted through its commercialization and familiarity. Each day also offers a related prayer that was written by another author such as Joni Eareckson Tada, Sinclair Ferguson, or even yours truly. (Amazon , Westminster Books)
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas by Nancy Guthrie. Guthrie took a slightly different approach from some of the other authors by recruiting help from both contemporary and historic authors: Whitefield, Calvin, and Spurgeon from times past and people like John Piper, Tim Keller, and Joni Eareckson in more recent times. This book offers 22 devotional readings that will lead you into the season. (Amazon, Westminster Books)
The Joy of Jesus: 25 Devotional Readings for Christmas by Josh Moody. Moody’s purpose is to cultivate a sense of joyful wonder through the Christmas season and to celebrate the real meaning of the holiday. He offers daily devotional readings that are based on passages from the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Each is followed by a carol. (Amazon, Westminster Books)
Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent by Sinclair Ferguson. Ferguson takes a slightly different approach by focusing daily readings on 1 Corinthians 13, the great “love chapter” of the Bible, to show that Christ is love. Using stories from the gospels, he shows what love looked like in Christ’s life. Each chapter finishes with an appropriate hymn or carol. (Amazon, Westminster Books)
The Dawn of Redeeming Grace: Daily Devotions for Advent by Sinclair Ferguson. Here’s a second option by Ferguson which offers 24 readings meant to take you from December 1 until Christmas Eve. The devotionals are based on the first two chapters of Matthew’s gospel. And, again, each is accompanied by an appropriate poem or carol. (Amazon, Westminster Books)
A Wondrous Mystery: Daily Advent Devotions by Charles Spurgeon & Geoffrey Chang. New this year is this devotional in which Geoffrey Chang (appropriately, curator of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) has compiled some of Charles Spurgeon’s best writing on Christmas. There are 30 devotionals to keep your heart focused on the wonder of the incarnation for a full month. (Amazon, Westminster Books)
Journey to Bethlehem: A Treasury of Classic Christmas Devotionals by Leland Ryken. Ryken offers 30 readings that are drawn from the rich history of Christian devotional writing—authors such as Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Spurgeon. Each of the the 30 readings offers an excerpt from a classic work, some literary analysis, a takeaway summary, and a related Bible passage. (Amazon, Westminster Books)
